Hot Box
by JinxRyuzaki
Summary: It's just a normal Friday night for Merlin until he's dragged into one of Arthur and Gwaine's schemes. Rated for languages, themes and drug use.


"Alright Merl!" Gwaine cheered when I walked in. He crossed the poorly lit, disorganized shop floor. His ratty flannel shirt stank of weed.

"You shouldn't smoke your own stock, you know" I grinned at him.

"I put money in for it, it's grand" he shrugged. "You here for liquor or are you here for me?"

"Both. A naggin and a twenty bag. What have you got on the lines of opiates?"

"Merl! What do you take me for?! An amateur? I've got all the good stuff, but I do have something I think you might like." He reached under the counter. "Percocet left from my trip to the doctor last week. I know you need 'em more than I do." He gave me one of his big goofy smiles. Gwaine looked like a real lowlife. He'd worked here in the off-licence since he turned legal. He was twenty three, had dark slightly curled hair, stubble, a nasty scar over his right eyebrow where his piercing had been ripped out in a bar fight and he always wore this stupid red beanie hat.

I paid for my crap, ready to leave. This was how I spent all of my weekends, at home, watching TV. When they moved the Eastenders omnibus to the middle of the night on Friday, I was thrilled. In fact, that was where I was off to now. I turned to go when I heard the door slam and the dead bolt lock. Gwaine and I froze before he dove under the counter for his steel baseball bat.

The blonde staggered on to the shop floor panting, sweating and red in the face. He tripped at one stage but threw out his strong arms and caught the stack of Budweiser crates. He pushed off like a swimmer from a wall. He stood in front of us, broad shoulders heaving and an expression that demanded attention.

"Jesus Christ Arthur! Do you want me to beat you to death?! Because, do that again and I feckin' will!" Gwaine tossed the bat back where he'd found it.

"I need you help, Gwaine- who's this?!" the man demanded.

"This? Ah, it's just Merlin. He's grand."

"You sure?" Arthur was wary.

"Positive" the dealer replied. "In fact, he'll even help. What do you want us to do?"

"I owe a guy a lot of money-"

"Ain't got none" Gwaine interrupted.

"I wasn't asking. I have the money. I just have to get it" Arthur said.

"And?"

"Okay fine!" the blonde sighed. "I have to get it from my father. He doesn't want to give it to me, so…"

"You're gonna steal it" I finished.

Arthur grinned. "Exactly. I need you, Gwaine, to actually go in to the manor and get it from the safe. I'll be in the car talking you through absolutely everything. There'll be no one around and I've done everything I can to lessen security."

"When do you need the money for?" I asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon. So, you in?"

Gwaine considered the offer for roughly half a second. "Yeah, sure. Come on Merlin, you're coming too!"

Almost an hour later, I was sitting in a tinted Bentley with my weekend dealer and an extremely attractive stranger. Gwaine sat in the backseat with a balaclava, Arthur and I sat in the front. I rolled joints on the dashboard while Arthur talked Gwaine through the plan.

"So I've drawn you a map, don't worry- I used the actual blueprints of the house. Big red dots are guard stations, avoid them! I've put a jammer in the cameras. The office Is mapped too and the combination is wrote there. Be as quick as you can but be careful!"

Gwaine gave us a final goofy grin and left the car. Arthur and I sat in awkward silence while I rolled. I realised I knew Arthur. He was in my building in uni. I knew I recognized that pure shade of blonde and the figure like Italian masonry. I felt myself blush. I put my window down, hoping the cold air would draw the heat from my cheeks and ears.

"Put the windows down and we'll light up."

I did as I told. I lit up first, took a deep pull and handed it to him. We chatted as we smoked, the lack of circulation in the car elevating our highs. Arthur was so cool as he talked about his life and his rich friends and his things. And he was so damn attractive it was frustrating. The buzzing behind my eyes told me my thoughts weren't entirely my own.

"I love you" I blurted as he was mid-sentence. He laughed at me. "I know you. I see you all the time. You're beautiful and I love you."

He passed me the joint. I'd lost count of how many we'd had by now. He laughed again. "You're not in love with me. You're just obsessed with me."

It didn't make sense to me as he said it. My brow furrowed and my nose crinkled as I thought about it, Eager to prove him wrong, I sprung from my seat and kissed him full on the lips.

The walkie-talkie on the dashboard crackled. "Lads, lads! Door, door!" It was followed by the screaming of an alarm.

We looked to see Gwaine pegging it down the long drive way. I tumbled into the back seat and flung open the door. He threw himself into the car like an arrow. I slammed the door as Arthur tore away from gates and sped away from the scene.

Gwaine slumped in his seat, inhaling the fumes left from the hotboxing, He seemed to calm down. He pulled off the balaclava and threw it on the floor. His fabulous dark hair was matted to his head.

"Did you get it?" Arthur bounced with excitement.

"Of course I fucking got it" Gwaine snarled. "What do you take me for? An amateur?"

Arthur whipped out his phone and started texting while driving, causing me to fear for my life. We pulled into an empty parking lot. Gwaine gave us a play-by-play of his "epic heist" as he called it, and we smoked the last of the joints. Gwaine had launched into his story for a third time when we were blinded by the blinking of headlights from another car. Arthur got out, made a short but hostile exchange with a shifty stranger and handed over the bag of Gwaine's winnings. He got back in and we left.

Gwaine was dropped home first, then me. I got out and as I turned to go, Arthur let the window down. "Hey, Merl. See you next week, yeah?"

I nodded and he left. The Eastenders omnibus was long over. Teleshopping and news on loop had started, telling me it was late. I didn't bother with the TV, collapsing into bed to reflect on the weirdest fucking Friday night of my entire life.


End file.
